Memory system and method of accessing a semiconductor memory device

Abstract

A memory system is provided with a processor, a main memory, and a flash memory. Performance of the memory system is improved through achievement of speed-up and high data reliability. The memory system includes a nonvolatile memory device and a controller configured to drive a control program to control the nonvolatile memory device. The control program executes a second access operation for the nonvolatile memory device even before a first access operation to the nonvolatile memory device is completed.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A nonvolatile memory device comprising:
 a memory cell array including a plurality of multi-level cells; and 
 a control unit configured to select one of plural multi-bit programming methods according to a characteristic of least significant bit (LSB) data stored in the memory cell array and to program most significant bit (MSB) data using the selected multi-bit programming method. 
 
     
     
       2. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the one of plural multi-bit programming methods include a first multi-bit programming method and a second multi-bit programming method. 
     
     
       3. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a page buffer configured to temporarily store data to be written into or being read from the memory cell array. 
 
     
     
       4. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of LSB data is determined by an address of the data stored in the memory cell array. 
     
     
       5. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of LSB data is determined in accordance with data reliability to restore the LSB data when there is a program fail of the MSB data. 
     
     
       6. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 2 ,
 wherein the control unit is configured to select the first multi-bit programming method if the LSB data has lower data reliability, and the second multi-bit programming method if the LSB data has higher data reliability, and 
 in programming the MSB data by the second multi-bit programming method, the programming is carried out by programming a first data state after programming the LSB data, programming a second data state after programming the first data state, and programming a third data state after programming the second data state. 
 
     
     
       7. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the first data state corresponds to a highest threshold voltage state, the second data state corresponds to a threshold voltage state lower than the first data state, and the third data state corresponds to a threshold voltage state lower than the second data state. 
     
     
       8. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein in programming the MSB data by the first multi-bit programming method, the programming is carried out for at least two data states simultaneously. 
     
     
       9. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein the memory cell array includes a flag memory cell for storing program execution information, the program execution information is updated whenever programming for each data state is completed. 
     
     
       10. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 9 , wherein if a program fail is generated from one of plural programming stages respective to the data states, the control unit detects the stage from which the program fail is generated by referring to the program execution information stored in the flag memory cell. 
     
     
       11. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a flag register for storing program execution information, 
 wherein the program execution information is updated whenever the programming for each data state is completed. 
 
     
     
       12. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 11 , wherein if a program fail is generated from one of plural programming stages respective to the data states, the control unit detects the stage from which the program fail is generated by referring to the program execution information stored in the flag register. 
     
     
       13. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 12 , wherein the control unit determines a read voltage for reading the LSB data based on a detection result of the program fail stage. 
     
     
       14. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 13 , wherein if the program fail is generated while programming a fourth data state and a fifth data state higher than the fourth data state, the control unit determines a voltage between an erasure state and the fourth data state as the read voltage. 
     
     
       15. The nonvolatile memory device as set forth in  claim 14 , wherein if the program fail is generated while programming a sixth data state than higher the fifth data state, the control unit determines a voltage between the fifth and sixth data states as the read voltage. 
     
     
       16. A flash memory device comprising:
 a memory cell array including a plurality of multi-level cells; and 
 a control unit configured to select one of a first and a second multi-bit programming methods according to a characteristic of least significant bit (LSB) data stored in the memory cell array and to program most significant bit (MSB) data using the selected multi-bit programming method, 
 wherein the control unit is configured to select the first multi-bit programming method if the LSB data has lower data reliability, and the second multi-bit programming method if the LSB has higher data reliability, 
 wherein in programming the MSB data by the second multi-bit programming method, the programming is carried out by programming a first data state after programming the LSB data, programming a second data state after programming the first data state, and programming a third data state after programming the second data state, 
 wherein in programming the MSB data by the first multi-bit programming method, the programming is carried out for at least two data states simultaneously. 
 
     
     
       17. A memory system comprising:
 a nonvolatile memory device configured to select one of first and second multi-bit programming methods according to a characteristic of least significant bit (LSB) data stored in the memory cell array and to program most significant bit (MSB) data using the selected multi-bit programming method; and 
 a memory controller configured to control the first and second multi-bit programming of the nonvolatile memory device and to update a program execution information whenever the program for each data state is completed. 
 
     
     
       18. The memory system as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the memory controller comprises a flag register for storing the program execution information. 
     
     
       19. The memory system as set forth in  claim 17 , wherein the memory controller further comprises an error correction circuit configured to detect whether there is an error from data stored in the nonvolatile memory device, and
 if a program fail is generated from one of plural programming stages respective to the data states, the memory controller detects the stage from which the program fail is generated by referring to whether an error of read data is correctable by the error correction circuit. 
 
     
     
       20. The memory system set forth in  claim 17 , the nonvolatile memory device and the memory controller are included in a solid state drive (SSD) or a memory card.